Ristorante Paris
Piazza S. Calisto, 7/A
Tel. 06.581.5378

Sadly, this classic restaurant isn’t what it used to be. Still, I love the old atmosphere, the courtly waiters, and the fact that Roman couples still come here for a bit of romance, perhaps to rekindle flames from their youth. The restaurant does tend to attract a crowd old-enough to remember its heyday. Moderately expensive.

Trattoria da Lucia
Vicolo del Mattonato, 2
Tel. 06.580.3601

I am not wildly fond of this little restaurant, but many of my food- and Rome-savvy friends adore it, which is why I am listing it. For one thing, it’s in the guide books, especially those that purport to know the bargains, so you will likely be seated next to another tourist, especially if you decide you have to sit at one of the few rickety tables set on the street. For another, since the original owner, Lucia, passed away, the quality is not what it used to be. Still, if you order a certain menu you will eat happily and cheaply in an authentic neighborhood restaurant: Take some fresh marinated anchovies and an antipasto plate of vegetables to start, then enjoy the spaghetti alla gricia, which is among the simplest and most typical of Roman pasta dishes. Some people call it Amatriciana without the tomatoes, as it is no more than a dressing of guanciale, pecorino, and pepper. Inexpensive.